Paint It Black

Monday came in, and I was over the feeling of my 'nirvana' moment with Frank. I was slapped back into reality when I saw him kissing that Kayla girl again. I wasn't upset, nor did I care, I was feeling numb again, and it was great.

"Hey, I'm going out with Meghan tonight," Mikey told me as I shot a photo of him sitting in the booth.

"Really? That's great, Mike."

He nodded, smiling, "She's like a live wire, I really like her."

I chuckled at him, "She is, but shes fun."

"I know," he turned to his bass, "are you gonna miss us?" he asked a second later.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"You're job will be done on Thursday, are you gonna miss us?"

I nodded, "Of course, I love you guys."

"Even Frank?"

I sighed, "Yes."

"He didn't...try anything on you, did he?"

Mikey didn't know that we slept together. He didn't know about Sunday morning, about our little argument.

"No," I lied, "we just talked."

He looked up at me, he believing my lie, "That's good. I told him not to hurt you, I hope you don't mind me mingling."

I shrugged, "You have my best interest at heart, Mike. I trust you."

"Thanks, Sunny," he set his bass down and gave me a hug.

I smiled at his embrace, Mikey is the sweetest guy.

"No problem."
--

At noon, I went out to smoke, and listen to my iPod. I had been neglecting these things, and I felt obligated to enjoy and lose myself some more.

I leaned against the side wall of the building, taking a long drag and listened to Blink-182's Dude Ranch. I hummed along to Dammit, swaying with the cigarette between my fingers. I bobbed my head as Mark Hoppis' voice sang the hook, I enjoyed this song too much.

"Hey!" a voice made me jump from my little dance. 

I exhaled, coughing out, seeing Tyler. I frowned at him, "Fuck's wrong with you?" I yelled and slugged him, "And what are you doing here?"

He rubbed his arm, "I came to apologize, since you aren't answering your phone."

"I don't want to talk to you, especially after what you did on Saturday!"

He sighed, "I was trying to take you home."

"By hitting Frank?"

He looked away, "I was mad."

"That's no excuse, plus, you're bigger than him, that's not a fair fight."

He laughed, "I only hit him once, then he tackled me."

"Frank will fuck you up, Tyler. He may be small, but he makes up for it in quickness."

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I was just making sure you wouldn't get hurt."

I cocked a brow, "With Meghan and Frank?"

"I worry about you."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, "I've been hurt, and nothing was going to happen."

He nodded, "I know, I was being a jealous guy..." he trailed for a minute, "Are you mad at me?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm upset with the situation. You and Frank mean a great deal to me."

"Are you with him?"

I heart sped for a second, "No," I answered truthfully.

He put his palm against the wall and leaned down near my face, "I want to be with you...again. I miss having you around, having you in my bed," he leaned closer, "kissing you..." he pecked at my jaw, "watching you smoke after we finish."

I giggled, letting him kiss at my face, "Stop, my breath reeks of smoke."

He shrugged, "I don't care," he pecked my lips, staring me in the eyes, "I use to smoke, too."

Tyler untucked my arms, and put them at my sides. I couldn't bring myself to stop him, I could never say no when he was like this. But, I had to.

"Tyler, stop, please," he looked up at me.

"What's wrong?" he looked confused.

"I don't want to do this with you."

He sighed, "Why?"

"Because...you and I are just...complicated...?" I shrugged, "We only see each other every few months, and when we do, all we do is fuck. It's a mess."

He sighed, "It has nothing to do with Frank?"

I shook my head, "He and I aren't going to be together anyway. He lives...in New Jersey, I think, still, and I live in Chicago. Maybe I should find someone in Chicago," I rambled.

"So this thing between us is over?"

I nodded, "I just want to be friends."

He nodded, too, "Okay...just know I'll always love you." he pecked my lips quickly.

"Thank you, Ty."
--

I went back into the studio, ready to shoot the guys performing their new song live. They said it was called Vampire Money, and I had never even heard a lyric of it. Gee said it was possibly his favorite for the album.

"Sunny, and Wendell," the engineer, "are the first to hear it," Ray said into the mic, "we only rehearsed it once, so if we fuck up, just pretend it never happen."

I smiled at him, awaiting for Frank to come in the booth next. When he did come in, he looked mad. I raised my brow, wondering what was wrong, but I kept quiet and let them go on. The music started as soon as he strapped up.

They started to play, but it seemed slow, as if someone wasn't playing fully. I looked over at Frank, his head down and his fingers plucking with his pick. He didn't seem enthused. I shook my head and focused on Gerard, Mikey and Ray.

"3,2,1 we came to fuck..."

I took a few shots of them, enjoying them perform. It had been forever since I seen them play live. I would look over at Frank, and see him playing so unenthusiastically, it made me cringe.

"We have to do it again," Gee said once it was over, "it felt...lazy," he mumbled into the mic.

"We can do it tomorrow," Wendell spoke on the intercom.

"That sounds good," Gee replied.

They all began to come out of the booth. I took a few more shots of them, then I saw Frank making his way out. 

"Shifts up," Mikey told me, "see you later?"

"Oh," I looked at the digital clock, "yeah, I'll see you guys." I gave them each hugs, grabbed my bag, and headed out.

I walked down the hall, spotting Frank near the lobby. I wanted to ask him if he was alright, but something told me not to. Not listening to good reason, I asked anyway.

I touched his shoulder, "Frank, are you okay?" 

He pulled away from me, turning around, "Don't fucking touch me."

I raised my brow at him, "What the hell is your problem?" I asked snapping at him.

"You're my problem," he snapped back, "you told me all that bullshit about your boyfriend and you're--"

I cut him off, "What are you talking about?"

He leaned closer to me, "I saw you kissing on him today."

I almost started to laugh, but stopped myself, "I wasn't kissing on him, he was kissing on me, and I told him I--"

"Save it, Sunny. You lied to me, you were just fucking around on me so you could get me back, right?"

"What? No! Are you crazy?"

He scoffed at me, "You would know."

That little comment hurt. It hurt more than I allowed it to. I just swallowed hard, trying to keep myself cool under pressure.

I shrunk back, "I didn't..." I felt my heart sting.

"I don't believe anything you tell me, so just save it."

I sighed, shaking my head and headed out the building.
---

Frank's POV

I saw her, during our break, kissing that guy. That asshole. It made my skin crawl and my stomach churn.

After everything, Sunday morning, she was messing with him again. 
I was more upset with the fact that Sunny was kissing on a guy who pushed her around. The guy who got angry with me over taking her home. A guy I despised and who controlled her. Sunny loves to easily, forgives guys like him too easily.

I yelled at her, was rude to her, so she'd open her eyes. I didn't mean to hurt her, I just wanted her to wake up. I want her to see what he was doing to her.

I wasn't a saint either, I did some shit I wasn't proud of, but I'm man enough to admit it. This guy is so sneaky, and egotistical, that he just goes and flirts with her, expecting it all to be healed. I learned, from Ray, that staying away helps, sometimes. Staying away, giving her some breathing room, to let her think, helps a lot. Believe, two years ago, I wanted to just crawl back to Sunny, kiss and beg her back, but I knew, in the long run, it wouldn't have worked with us. She would resent me, and I would her. I just hoped that this resentment, with that Tyler guy, would make her see something.